Lucknow: After losing several key Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP's central leadership is now on high alert regarding the state. Akhilesh Yadav, leveraging the PDA (Pichda-Dalit-Alpsankhyak) formula to expand his influence among voters, has become a significant concern for the party. Interestingly, Akhilesh has now shifted his political attacks from Keshav Prasad Maurya to the other Deputy CM, Brajesh Pathak.
In response to this emerging challenge, the BJP's central leadership is considering a strong and influential OBC leader to take charge of the party in the state. Among the top contenders for the post of state president is none other than Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya. While there are multiple names in the race, Maurya’s political weight and past organizational success make him the frontrunner.
Keshav was initially reluctant to return to the organization
Sources reveal that Maurya was not keen on leaving power to return to party organization. He had previously turned down the offer to become state BJP chief. However, his recent meetings in Delhi with senior leaders such as Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have sparked fresh speculation. After his meeting with Amit Shah, Maurya posted on social media that they discussed BJP’s 2027 election strategy and received valuable guidance. Earlier, Shah had publicly called Keshav his friend, signaling Maurya’s growing clout in party circles.
These high-profile meetings have stirred political discussions, especially as Akhilesh Yadav continues to target Brajesh Pathak instead of Maurya under his PDA narrative.
Continuous decline since 2017
The impact of Keshav Maurya’s leadership was clearly visible in 2017 when the BJP made a historic comeback in Uttar Pradesh with 325 seats 312 won independently and the rest with allies. However, by 2022, the party's tally dropped to 255 on its own and 273 with allies. This downward trend continued in the Lok Sabha as well. From winning 71 seats in 2014, the BJP managed only 62 in 2019, and suffered a significant blow in 2024, falling to just 33 seats from Uttar Pradesh. These setbacks have weakened the BJP’s hold at the national level, making its position dependent on allies.
Now, the party is keen to recreate the magic of 2017 in the 2027 Assembly elections. It was Keshav Prasad Maurya who coined the “300+” slogan in 2017, which many dismissed as unrealistic until the results stunned everyone and toppled political heavyweights across the state.There is speculation that the BJP may once again turn to Maurya to lead the charge and replicate that historic success.
While names like Swatantra Dev Singh, Baby Rani Maurya, and Vidyasagar Sonkar are also doing the rounds for the state president post, the political arithmetic currently seems to favor Keshav Prasad Maurya. However, in BJP, no decision is final until officially announced.
